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Harry Potter 7 – Part 1 : A review

Yes, almost a month after the movie came out in the UK and in the US, I finally saw it myself while in HK on my Winter Break. After all, Warner Bros only released it in HK just in time for the Christmas holiday season. Despite the lengthy delay, having paid the equivalent of just under £3.5, I”d say it was well worth the extra wait.

After all, as a movie, HP7/1 wasn’t exactly of Oscar Material. The only thing that allowed it to stand at all was the intricate pot written by JK Rowling. Nevertheless, there were some interesting moments.

Firstly, I am almost sure I saw a glimpse of Wales, if only for a split second. One of the many shots of the trio moving around on foot due to Ron’s injury featured them walking under a massive bridge. I am almost certain that it was filmed at the Severn Bridge connecting England and Wales.

Secondly, I have to admit that the animation of ‘The Tale of The Three Brothers’ was spectacular, almost better than the film itself. Very nicely transitioned with Xenophilius Lovegood looking out the window. Even on it’s own, the animation was very well done.

A rather trivial point, but it appears to me that Harry’s scar had moved from the position it was in since the first film. Then, it was placed squarely in the center of the forehead. In the 7th, the scar seems to have moved to just above his right eye.

I’ve also heard some people call the movie a cliff-hanger. But in my personal opinion, the ending was so disconnected from large parts of the film, it didn’t really make sense, much less create enigma. It wasn’t a bad ending, certainly emphatic, but just not a cliff-hanger.

Finally, I know I originally felt quite strongly that a 2 part movie was a purely commercial decision. I still don’t know if it was, but regardless of how the idea originated, I’ll admit that the idea is quite reasonable. In fact, from a purely artistic point of view, I feel that splitting HP7 into 2 was a good move. While it can’t be said without seeing the second part, the decision to split it up might yet turn out to be a good decision after all.